The Burning Bridge (Ranger's Apprentice 2)

Will, the Ranger's apprentice, is forced to overcome his fear of Wargals, the foot soldiers of rebel warlord Morgarath, as Araluen's army prepares to battle Morgararh's forces.

Long Synopsis:

The Burning Bridge is a 260 page conventional fantasy novel written by the best selling Australian author John Flanagan and first published in 2005. It is the second book in Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series; it follows The Ruins of Gorlan and comes before The Icebound Land. Philomel's summary reads as follows:
For years, the Kingdom of Araluenhas prospered, with the evil Lord Morgarath safely imprisoned by impassable mountains. For years, its people have felt secure. But the scheming hand of the dark lord has not been idle ... On special mission for the Rangers, Will and his friend Horace, an apprentice knight, travel to a neighboring village and discover the unsettling truth: All the villagers have been either slain or captured. But for what purpose? Could it be that Morgarath has finally devised a plan to bring his legions over the supposedly insurmountable pass? If so, the King's army is in imminent danger of being crushed in a fierce ambush. And Will and Horace are the only ones who can help them. With bigger battles and higher stakes, John Flanagan's epic adventure charges ahead with this highly anticipated sequel to The Ruins of Gorlan.